Listen to the World, or Follow my Heart?
by Ed the Fluffy Penguin
Summary: Fox/Gwen, Ethan/Theresa, also Ethan/Gwen(but neither of them want to be with each other) Gwen and Fox want to be together, Ethan and Theresa want to be together, so what's stoping them? Their families.
1. Back in Harmony: Gwen's POV

Disclaimer: I seriously doubt that anyone believes that I am the owner of Passions, which belongs to James E. Reilly, the NBC network, etc.  
  
Warnings: A few bad words here and there, but nothing too bad. I'm also anti-Theresa and Ethan. But don't worry, Theresa fans, I'm not planning to do any bashing in this story. I'm just warning you because I might one day feel really angry at Theresa, and unconsciously make her look bad. Although, I promise that if Gwen has a happy ending, so will Theresa.  
  
Author's Notes: I got this idea by watching a Chinese soap opera, and those can be very dramatic, so the characters might overreact a lot of the times. I also quit watching Passions for some time, and only recently started again. I haven't gotten familiar with the character Fox, so there might be a bit of OOCness. I have also changed a few things around.  
  
Fox and Gwen are the same age, 24. They have also gone to the same boarding school in England.  
  
- Ethan and Gwen met when they were 19, being introduced to each other by Ivy and Rebecca. Gwen didn't want to date Ethan, but was  
  
pressured by her mother and father.  
  
They haven't found out yet that Ethan is not Julian's son.  
  
Theresa and Ethan were going out when they were 14, but Ethan dumped Theresa at the age of 16 because his family didn't approve of  
  
her, and Theresa has been trying to get him back ever since.  
  
Reviews would be greatly appreciated, but please, don't flame me for the pairing, or for being a Gwen or Fox fan. Keep in mind that everybody is entitled to their own opinion. I respect yours, and, hopefully, you will return the common courtesy.  
  
'...' means thoughts  
  
~*~*~*~ means flashbacks  
  
/.../ means very short flashbacks  
  
***~~~*** means scene changes  
  
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~Gwen's POV~  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" the scream echoed through the corridors of the mansion, making me turn from my destination with a start. Realizing that it had come from Theresa's room, I made a quick turn to the right and dashed through the door.  
  
I was greeted with a familiar site that brought both warmth to the core of my heart and dread to the pit of my stomach. Standing before me was Fox Crane, the man that I had left back in England so many years before. He looked the same as he ever did, as if time had stood still from the time that we were separated. His sapphire eyes still made my knees buckle with its intense gaze; that golden blond hair was still sharply spiked.  
  
/"You put so much gel in your hair, I almost cut my fingers!" I would always complain teasingly whenever I ran a hand through that patch of knives.  
  
"Well, maybe you should stop touching my hair," he would counter.  
  
"You wouldn't want that to happen."  
  
"You know what Gwen? You're right."  
  
"Well of course! I'm always right!"/  
  
I smiled fondly at the memory. That conversation would be followed by a little snogging session, most often interrupted by one of our friends imitating vomiting, or even the occasional warning given to us by a professor.  
  
But he was not that same man that I remembered. The Fox Crane that I knew would have swept me off of my feet and spin me around whenever I walked into a room. The Fox Crane that I remembered would always hold a warm light in his eyes and place that comforting smile on his face that would say "Everything is right with the world". What I was met with was a glare of ice, and an arrogant smirk.  
  
'Oh Fox, what happened in the time that we were apart? Did my leaving change you that much?' I pondered silently in my mind.  
  
Mother, Julian, Ivy, Ethan, and Pilar soon clambered in behind me, jostling me from my train of thought.  
  
"Fox, when did you get back to Harmony?" Ethan asked, his hostility apparent in his voice.  
  
"Fox?" Theresa interrupted confusedly.  
  
"Hello Theresa. I saw your picture in the paper. It didn't do you justice," Fox said, eyeing Theresa up and down.  
  
I glared at him, incredulous at his behavior. Fox had always been a charmer, but never did he flirt with someone in front of my face.  
  
"But I guess you don't know who I am. In which case, allow me to introduce myself. Nicholas Foxworth Crane...Fox for short. I'm the second son of Ivy and Julian Crane." He then directed his attention at Ivy and Julian. "Hello Mummsy. How's it going Pops? I'm Back!"  
  
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It's really short. Not at all up to my usual standards. The next chapter will be of the same scene, but from Fox's POV, so I guess you can count this as only half of chapter 1. Oh, and does anyone know how to do italics? Or how to change elements in the story without having to remove it from ff.net first? I use Microsoft, and for some reason, all of that stuff (italics, bold, etc.) disappears when I post, and the spacing has to be increased by 3x in order to get the desired effect. 


	2. Back in Harmony: Fox's POV

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for Karen, Lily, and Belle.  
  
Author's Notes: I don't know who Ethan and Fox's sisters are, so I made them up. I wrote this chapter because I was reminded of when Ivy was hugging Ethan while Fox was watching in the sidelines. I thought that was a really sad moment, showing how much favourtism Ivy has for Ethan because he is the son of her true love. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Theresa is not married to Julian in this fic, and most definitely did not have his child. Just pretend that Pilar and her family live in the Crane mansion.  
  
Dedication: To angel, Cry Me A River, and Tara. Thank you so much for your reviews!  
  
'...' means thoughts  
  
~*~*~*~ means flashbacks  
  
/.../ means very short flashbacks  
  
***~~~*** means scene changes  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I got home unnoticed, which isn't much of a surprise. They never noticed me when I was still living here.  
  
I guess they are having some party, again not that much of a surprise. It's pretty ironic. Whenever I went home for the summer from boarding school, there was a welcome home party, and now that I am home, there is also a party, although, as usual, the party is not for me. My parents had never said that to my face, but everyone knew it. The parties were never for me, Karen, Lily, or Belle, it was all for Ethan. We used to be so close, until we found out that he was...is... the favourite. I remember when we first realized it, when we all came home, for that one, particular summer...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I boarded the airplane that would take me home. I couldn't wait to see Ethan again! I really missed him. Sure I missed Karen, Lily, and little Belle, but they're girls, and we just aren't as close as Ethan and I are.  
  
I could never figure out why my sisters and I had to go to boarding school in Europe, but Ethan had to go in the U.S. Although, I knew why my sisters and I don't go to the same boarding school. We all got to pick which country we were going to be attending school in. Karen had always loved France when we went on our vacations, so she wanted to go there. Lily and Karen were having a little sister's quarrel at the time for her to choose, something about dolls, so Lily wanted to go to Ireland. I, of course, wanted to go to the same school as Ethan, but for some reason, Mother wanted me to go to Europe as well. So, to make her happy, I decided to go to England, just so that I wouldn't be closer to one of my sisters, and farther from the other.  
  
When I got to the airport, Pilar was there to pick me up, along with...  
  
"Ethan!" I yelled happily as we ran to each other to give bear hugs.  
  
"I missed you, little bro," he said, letting me go. "Have you gotten taller?" He asked jokingly as he measured me against his own body.  
  
We were interrupted as another body came crashing against us. Lily was trying to wrap her tiny little arms around the both of us as she broke down and wept openly.  
  
"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed through her tears. It had been her first year away from home. Karen soon came into our little group hug, and with her and Lily bawling, they almost got Ethan and me to join them. I guess it's what you could call a touching moment.  
  
We then went to the car, all sharing stories about the past year. Then we went through yearbooks and photo albums. We talked about teachers, friends, and everything important and not so important.  
  
Before any of us knew it, we were home. Lily dashed out of the car quicker than we could blink. We soon caught up and headed into the house together. When we were inside, there was the usual welcome home party with cake, balloons, ice cream, everything that a party should have.  
  
"Mommy!" Lily exclaimed with a joyous smile as she ran towards Mother, her arms outstretched. Mother and Lily were headed right towards each other, and then...Mother brushed right past Lily and scooped Ethan into her arms.  
  
Mother was in tears as she said, "Oh Ethan. My precious little boy, you're finally home!"  
  
Lily walked back dejectedly to Karen and me when little Belle came wobbling into the room. We stood together, the four youngest of the Crane children, watching from the sidelines in confusion as our mother embraced Ethan and Ethan alone. 'Why would Mother do that?' I wondered. 'This was Lily's first year away from her family. Why would she comfort Ethan? Lily obviously needs more attention right now than any of us.'  
  
Then the cold, hard truth hit me like a ton of bricks. Mother didn't love us; she only loved Ethan. The party, it wasn't for us, it was all for Ethan. The same reason why Karen, Lily, me, and most probably little Belle didn't go to school in the Untied States but Ethan did, it was because Mother wanted to keep her precious Ethan close to her while trying to get rid of the rest of us!  
  
Now that I think about it, it's all the same. Nothing had changed from when only Karen and I came home. Mother always hugged Ethan the longest and only held us for a short while. Then, it had seemed enough. I looked over at Karen and saw her bitter glare at Mother, then I turned to Lily, who was sobbing a bit, and I know that they had both come to the same conclusion.  
  
Why hadn't I noticed this before? Then the answer came to me: Father. He was always here before. He was the one who hugged us first when we came home.  
  
"Where's Father?" I asked Mother.  
  
"Hmm?" she turned to me, but not letting go of Ethan just yet. "Oh, he went on a trip to see some of his old friends this morning. He should be back in about two months," she then went back to hugging Ethan.  
  
'So, now Father isn't willing to spend time with his children either,' I thought bitterly, the jealousy for my once best friend consuming me rapidly.  
  
Then, all of a sudden realizing that we were also her children, Mother turned back to us and said, "Come give me a hug, darlings." She didn't fool me for one minute, and it seemed, she didn't manage with Karen or Lily, either.  
  
"No thank you," I said coldly, dragging Karen, Lily, and little Belle with me upstairs to our rooms. Our abrupt departure didn't seem to bother Mother that much, since when I turned back, she was raptly asking Ethan questions about his year.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
That moment had changed our "happy family" forever. Little Belle had discovered Mother's favourtism and Father's neglect soon enough. Ethan and I became distant. I would lash out at him whenever he came near me, Karen and Belle would give him the cold shoulder, and Lily...Lily was just not there. She would just leave the room if Ethan came in.  
  
Pushing the memory from my mind, I went to my old room. 'I wonder if they changed it. If they have, it's probably been turned into a shrine for Ethan.'  
  
When I got to my room, it was dark, so I didn't even bother to look around. Instead, I opted to just climb into bed and deal with my problems in the morning. I stripped down to my boxer shorts and headed to my bed. Then I saw it: a lump...a moving silk clad lump.  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" it screamed, startling the hell out of me. 'What the bloody hell?!'  
  
It climbed out of my bed and flipped on the light. Now, I can tell that it is a she, and a very beautiful she, at that. 'She looks very familiar...oh, that's where I recognize her! I had seen her picture in the paper. I think her name is Theresa...something or other, I can't quite remember her name. The last time I checked, she and Ethan were broken up.'  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" She demanded.  
  
Before I could answer, a second figure burst into the room. "Gwen," I had almost gasped out, my breath leaving me for a moment as I gazed upon her once again. My Gwen. Dear God, she is even prettier than I remembered. Her eyes still resembled a garden full of violets, with its peculiar shades of sky blue, leaf green, and violet. Her hair is still the golden blonde locks that I spent all class periode playing with. I frowned a bit there. Her hair was up in a French twist; I always hated it when she put her hair up. Yes, that's my Gwen, although, she seemed a bit more gaunt and pale.  
  
Then, Mother, Father, Ethan, Pilar, and Rebecca piled in, pushing My Gwen to the side.  
  
"Fox, when did you get back to Harmony?" Ethan asked, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice.  
  
"Fox?" Theresa asked, obviously confused.  
  
"Hello Theresa. I saw your picture in the paper. It didn't do you justice," I said, flirting with her a little. I looked over at Gwen to see her glaring at me. 'Good, now she knows how I feel. Well, not quite...yet.'  
  
"But I guess you don't know who I am. In which case, allow me to introduce myself. Nicholas Foxworth Crane......Fox for short. I'm the second son of Ivy and Julian Crane." I then directed my attention to my parents, who, apparently, weren't having a very...close relationship right now, judging on how Father and Rebecca were dressed. "Hello Mummsy. How's it going Pops? I'm Back!"  
  
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Well, what do you think? I don't know if I should make this just one story and have a bunch of flashbacks to when Fox and Gwen were at school, or if I should write a prequel. 


	3. Revenge Only Caused Me More Misery: Gwen...

Disclaimer: If anybody actually wants to read it, look on chapter one, cause I don't want to go through it again.  
  
Author's Notes: I forgot to mention that Ethan is 27, Fox and Gwen are 24, Theresa is 26(I know that it's not accurate, but it works for my story), Karen is 23, Lily is 21, and Belle is 19. In the flashback of the last chapter, Ethan was 12, and I'll just leave you to do the rest of the math.  
  
Dedication: Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys make my day!  
  
Lovelywhite- Thank you for the advice, but unfortunately, I know next to nothing about computers, and don't know what you're talking about. I'll have to ask my cousin, but I wanted to get up another chapter soon. So, I'll have to stick to the codes for now.  
  
Cry Me A River- I want to thank you. I read your fic before I posted this, and I must say that seeing Fox with someone other than Theresa or Kay (finally!), encourage me to write this story!  
  
'.....' means thoughts  
  
~*~*~*~ means flashbacks  
  
/...../ means very short flashbacks  
  
***~~~*** means scene changes  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lay sleepless in my large bed, the words 'He's here,' kept repeating in my mind. I felt happiness, wonder, anger, and guilt at the same time.  
  
For the first time in seven years, I saw him face to face. Even after all of these years, I am still in love with him. You know how people said that a long distance relationship could never last? I know that we could have, if it weren't for my mother. If only I had come to this realization when I left for college. I never knew what it would be like; to be in love with someone forever no matter what happens. I now understand what being Ethan feels like. After all that Theresa has done, he's still in love with her.  
  
I couldn't shake the guilt that I felt. Fox has always been jealous of Ethan for his mother's affections, it must be killing him to know that I am Ethan's girlfriend...But I don't want to be. It is times like these that I hate myself for being too weak. I wish that I could find courage to stand up to my parents. I envy Fox for that. He has the ability to not let anyone control him, no matter who they were.  
  
/"Gwen, I think you should accept Ethan's invitation."  
  
"You want me to go out with him, Mother?"  
  
"Well of course!"  
  
"Mother, I already told you that I am still in love with Fox!"  
  
"Gwen, you will not give up the opportunity to go out with one of the richest men on the planet! Forget about that loser already!"  
  
"Mother! That 'loser' as you refer to him, is Fox Crane: Ethan's brother! You do know that they are apart of the same family, don't you?"  
  
"Well, yes, but he is not the Crane heir! Once Alistair croaks, the entire Crane Empire will be Ethan's. I only have your best interest at heart."  
  
"Mother...I don't need all of the Crane fortune. Don't you think that it would be better for me to love the man that I'm with?"  
  
"Gwen, you can learn to love Ethan. Maybe you'll find out that you like him better than Fox. Plus, there is no reason to not try and get more than what you have. Ethan will definitely have more money than Fox."  
  
"Ethan and I haven't even gone out yet, why are you talking about marriage?"  
  
"Well, the truth is that Ivy and I are really close friends, and we always dreamed that her first born son would one day marry my only daughter."  
  
"I still don't know..."  
  
"Gwen, you don't have to suddenly turn into his fiancée by tomorrow. All I'm asking is that you go out with him, as friends."  
  
"Alright, but only as friends."  
  
"Oh, terrific!"/  
  
I sighed at the memory. After that one time going out as friends, Mother has set up other dates, and pretty soon, it had become three months. Mother made sure that Fox knew, of course. He was very upset and nearly chewed my head off on the phone. He had every right to do it, though.  
  
That was the last time that he spoke to me. I tried to call him, send him letters, trying to explain that I had no feelings for Ethan, but he just wouldn't listen. Pretty soon, I had stopped trying, not because I gave up, but because of a conversation with my dear friend, Buffy.....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I was quietly reading in my room. The winter break was almost over, and I would be going back to school soon. I was just about to finish The Silmarillion for the fiftieth time in my life when Buffy, one of my sorority sisters, burst into my room.  
  
"Gwen I'm so glad that you're home!" Buffy yelled hysterically. It was obvious that she was crying.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"  
  
"Well, you know how I just got back from France?" she said, sniffling.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, I met this absolutely gorgeous guy there, and we...slept together."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"Well, I thought that I had him, you know. I really liked him, and he was so sweet, I thought that our relationship was something special. But then, I just called him, and I could tell that he was sleeping with someone else! He...he just used me!" Buffy now openly wept.  
  
"Buffy, this guy is a total jerk! He's not even worth it!" I said, trying to comfort her. Then, in came Muffy and Bunny.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?" asked Muffy.  
  
"A guy I met in France just used me!"  
  
"Who?" Bunny asked.  
  
"Fox Crane!"  
  
I knife of ice stabbed through my heart at that name. 'Fox? My Fox? He used one of me best friends and then just moved on with some tramp?' Tears were threatening to spill at the thought of what Fox had become.  
  
"Oh, him? Don't worry Buffy, both Muffy and I have slept with him. He is just a user," Bunny said nonchalantly. "Anyway, he isn't lacking anything in that department, is he..."  
  
With every word, it was as if another ounce of my life was being stolen away as my sorority sisters talked about how good the love of my life was in bed! I had to politely excuse myself from the room, not being able to endure my friends comparing their own night with Fox. I found myself wondering how many women Fox had slept with, and if he still loved me. Was it revenge that drove him to this?  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
That was one of the most heartbreaking conversations I had ever had. I remembered just crying myself to sleep for a month after that. Mother found out, although I'll never know how, and used my anger against Fox, and pushed me closer to Ethan.  
  
I gave up sleep completely, and decided that I needed to talk to Fox. Tossing aside my blankets, I slipped on a silk, black robe that I bought in Japan. I then headed downstairs, where I heard Fox and his parents talking.  
  
"Don't keep us in suspense any longer, Fox. What is this gift for all of us?" Julian's voice ranged out from the living area.  
  
"Guess Father," Fox challenged.  
  
"You're leaving Harmony today?"  
  
I scowled at Julian's sarcastic remark.  
  
"Nope," Fox answered, seemingly unfazed.  
  
"First thing tomorrow?" Ivy asked hopefully.  
  
"No, Mother," Fox answered, not being able to hide the hurt in his voice.  
  
All of the anger that I previously felt left me. Guilt now rolled over me once more. I am reminded of how Fox always tried to seek his mother's approval, and how Ethan had unknowingly kept that from happening.  
  
"Fox, just tell us and be done with it," Ivy said, annoyed.  
  
"Father, Mother, I'm not leaving Harmony. I've come home to stay."  
  
"What?" Ivy asked incredulously.  
  
"I'll be living in the Crane mansion. We can all be one, big, happy family."  
  
My heart gave a sudden leap at Fox's answer. He will be living in the mansion; I practically live in the mansion!  
  
I miss our days in boarding school. We lived under one roof, yet we still had to sneak around at night to be alone together. Of course, we did get caught many times, but it was always well worth it. It's kind of strange to think of myself before I was involved with Fox. I used to be the goody-good, the teacher's pet, and the school nerd. But then, Fox started to make me more daring. He gave me the idea that the rules were only to make sure that nobody got hurt, and since us enjoying each other's company at midnight didn't make someone drop dead, then, the rules were pretty useless.  
  
I was interrupted in my memories of better times when Fox walked to the bottom of the stairs. Our eyes met, and it was like school all over again. I suddenly felt hot, as his gaze seemed to pierce into my soul.  
  
He started to approach me slowly, stealthily. The fire in his eyes frightened me, so I started to back away from him, up the stairs. Still, he moved toward me, until he corned me, with my back up against the wall in the empty hallway.  
  
He grasped my shoulders roughly, and I could feel myself trembling.  
  
"Fox?" I asked shakily, not understanding his behavior.  
  
My voice seemed to break him out of a trance as his eyes softened. It stayed silent between us for what seemed like forever. Then, it was broken when Fox suddenly asked, "Do you love him?"  
  
I stared back at him in shock for a moment. Do I love Ethan? Or maybe I have been using him to deal out my anger for Fox? I looked back into his eyes, seeing nothing but utter despair, which sent me into melancholy. I knew my answer right then. "No," I answered, close to tears. "I will always, only love you."  
  
He swooped in and captured my lips in his just after I had fished my sentence. I was reminded of our kisses, and how they were hot, hard, and passionate. I was filled with a feeling of bliss as I was held in his arms again, sharing with him our long desired contact. It lasted for eternity, yet ended too soon, as he broke the kiss for the need of oxygen, leaving both of us panting heavily.  
  
"I love you too," he said, before diving in to claim my lips once more.  
  
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Yes, I know that the kissing scene completely stinks! It was my first time writing one, so hopefully, I will get better at it. This story now has another point to it. I want to see Gwen finally stand up to her mother. I think that she lets her parents control her too much. I've seen on the show how Rebecca (no offense to Rebecca fans, I like her, really) has pressured Gwen into doing something that she really doesn't want to do.  
  
Oh, and would anyone be interested in reading a prequel to this story? It would be of Fox and Gwen's school days. 


	4. You are not the Only one to Suffer: Thir...

Author's Notes: I accidentally said that they hadn't seen each other for seven years in the last chapter, but I ment six.  
  
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Locked within each other's embrace, the long separated lovers united again as they kissed each other for the first time in six, long, lonely years. Each was whispering vows of eternal love through the kiss as they poured all of the agony and heartache they felt over the years in that one simple contact of flesh upon flesh.  
  
Finally, the need for oxygen burned in their lungs, forcing them to reluctantly separate. Both were wearing warm smiles upon their faces as if they were floating on cloud nine.  
  
They were happily living in a dazed bliss until Fox once again broke the silence. "Why, Gwen? How could you betray me?" he asked, with a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"I didn't betray you, Fox. I've tried to explain to you that I don't have feelings for Ethan. My mother set us up, and...you know how she is," Gwen replied, hurt that he still hadn't forgiven her for that misunderstanding.  
  
"You betrayed me when you slept with my brother! You know how I feel about him, and yet you still got into a relationship with him! Tell me, Gwen. Have you two had sex? Huh?! Answer me, you little slut!" Fox demanded, letting the pain he felt turn into anger.  
  
SMACK! The sound echoed through the empty corridor. Fox just stood there, shocked. He was cradling his injured cheek.  
  
"How dare you! Don't you for one moment think that you are the only one to suffer! For your information, no, I haven't slept with anyone except for you!" Gwen bellowed. She was now shaking with fury. "But, I do know that I am not the only person to ever share your bed! Do you think that I had the time of my life when I heard about you and your little escapades?!"  
  
"How did you know?" Fox asked, completely perplexed at how Gwen could have heard about it.  
  
"Because you've slept with my friends, Fox! Oh, I guess you had no idea that you've had sex with some of my sorority sister! Actually, all of them, in fact!" Gwen lashed out, now with tears falling from her eyes. "Do you know how much that hurt? To know that the one person that you have ever loved took your friends to bed and dumped them the next day? Because I do, Fox! Even after I found out what you did to those that I care about, and God knows how many others, I still couldn't bring myself to do it! Oh, there have been times that came close, but do you know what stopped me?! It was the thought of how much pain I would put you through! Did you ever once stop to think what you would do to me?!"  
  
"Gwenny..."  
  
"Don't you Gwenny me, Nicholas Foxworth Crane! Even tonight, I have witnessed your 'technique'! I wasn't exactly dancing around with joy when I heard what you said to Theresa!"  
  
An uncomfortable silence stretched out around them. Gwen tried unsuccessfully to stifle her sobs by biting so hard down on her tongue that she tasted the blood. Fox reached up a hand to wipe away a tear that was sliding down her aristocratic cheek.  
  
"Don't!" Gwen flinched away from him, turning her head to the side.  
  
Fox hesitated before gently turning her chin to face him again. He timidly kissed her forehead before letting a single tear escape from its willful hold. "We've both done some things that we regret, Gwen. It's too late to change the past, but it's not too late to change the path of our future."  
  
She reached up an elegant hand to wipe that one tear that was now past his cheekbone. "You're right, Fox. It's too late to change the past, no matter how hard we wish of it. Fox, I will always, only have you in my heart..."  
  
At this, Fox gave a joyful smile. He embraced her tightly, pulling her against his solid body. He made a move to kiss Gwen, but she turned away. He looked up at her in bewilderment.  
  
Gwen looked up at him with her empty eyes. "...but, I don't know if I am able to forgive you."  
  
To say that Fox was shocked would have been an understatement. He abruptly let go of Gwen, causing her body to crash against the wall. She limply slid down until she sat on the ground like a china doll.  
  
Fox walked away, making his way to his room. If Gwen didn't want him, then he certainly didn't want to impose. He decided to just sort things through in the morning, perhaps Gwen would have cooled down by then.  
  
After Fox left, Gwen pulled her knees against her body, and wept all through the night.  
  
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I know, not a very good chapter. I'm in a hurry. 


	5. The Games We Play

Disclaimer: look on chapter one  
  
Author's note: Sorry for the long wait, but I was struck by writer's block. I am also changing the rating to PG-13 because of a future scene. Don't worry, if you can watch Passions, then you won't really be affected.  
  
Dedication: To all of my reviewers: angel, Cry Me A River, Tara, lovelywhite, FoxCharity Fan, ashes of roses, lilkrissy, and Ivy Crane. Sorry I didn't thank you guys last time, as I said, I was in a hurry. I love you all!  
  
'...' means thoughts  
  
~*~*~*~ means flashbacks  
  
/.../ means very short flashbacks (i.e. conversations)  
  
***~~~*** means scene changes  
  
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In the empty corridor, Gwen gently rocked herself back and forth while clutching her knees tightly to her chest. Though the pain she felt in her heart still burned with a hated passion, her tears of both anger and sorrow have finally stopped falling from her red, swollen eyes. At first she had been angry, with Fox for his self-centered thoughts, with her mother for her pressure, with herself for falling into this mess. Then came the sadness, the self-pity. There she was, face to face with him, both confessing their undying love for each other. He was willing to forgive her for her betrayal, and start again the happiness that they knew in each other's arms. Yet, she threw it all away. And for what reason? Because she couldn't forgive him for what he's done? She couldn't believe how incredibly idiotic she was! Her crime was ten times as worse! She had always known of Fox's envy towards his brother, of how he lived in Ethan's shadow! And now, she, the one thing that Fox thought would always be his and Ethan could never touch, was in a relationship with Ethan!  
  
The chiming of the old grandfather clock broke her train of thought. It was now four o'clock in the morning. Thinking that it would be a good idea to just get a fresh start in the morning, she headed to the room where she stayed when she spent the night at the mansion.  
  
On her way there, she caught sight of Fox's room. The light was out, so he was obviously asleep. She suddenly was compelled to check on him. She just stood there in front of the door, debating whether she should or not. Thinking that she must look like an idiot just standing there, she pushed the door silently open. She made her way over to the side of the bed, and gazed down at the form of her slumbering love. He looked so innocent lying there, so vulnerable. The creases of frustration that were above his eyebrows earlier were now smoothed away. He looked so relaxed, so carefree, so peaceful, as if all of their troubles were finally gone. She gently brushed her hand through his hair, which seemed to be permanently spiked up due to the endless amounts of gel he would pour into it. Her hand ran down his face, and to his cheek. Leaning down, she swiftly gave him the softest of kisses. When she lifted herself up, she saw the blissful smile that now played on his lips. Smiling herself, she took one last look at his handsome face before tiptoeing out of the room.  
  
Closing the door to her room behind her, she leaned against the cool oak wood to sigh in remembrance of the times that she and Fox shared together. They may have not started out as the friendliest of foe, but once their icy cold exteriors were breached, they couldn't be separated.  
  
When she reached her bed, she discovered a single black rose in early bloom on her nightstand. She picked it up, and upon closer inspection, she found that the thorns were gone, so not to prick her fingers. Attached to the stem of the rose, there was a small roll of ivory parchment tied with a scarlet ribbon. Unfurling the parchment, she immediately recognized Fox's neat, loopy handwriting. The message read:  
  
If the scorn of your bright eyne  
  
Have power to raise such love in mine,  
  
Alack, in me what strange effect  
  
Would they work in mild aspect!  
  
Whiles you chid me, I did love;  
  
How then might your prayers move!  
  
He that brings this love to thee  
  
Little knows this love in me;  
  
And by him seal up thy mind,  
  
Whether that thy youth and kind  
  
Will the faithful offer take  
  
Of me and all that I can make,  
  
Or else by him my love deny,  
  
And then I'll study how to die.  
  
As You Like It (IV, iii)  
  
Gwen bowed her head as yet more tears slid down her face. His words cut her like the edge of a knife. 'Fox was always cruel when he wanted revenge, and now I am his latest victim.' She could have never thought that he would tarnish the wonderful memories of their romance. 'At first he used this game to sweep me off my feet, and now he plays it once more to break my heart.'  
  
Deciding that it was best that she not stay in this house any longer, she quickly changed out of her pajamas and slipped on a pair of black pants and a lavender sweater with a strip of navy blue and white on the sleeves. Grabbing her purse, she rushed out the door and made her slow journey home.  
  
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I was never good at this poetry stuff, so sorry if the Shakespeare quote didn't exactly fit. I also need more poems/quotes, so if anyone can help me out, then please do. 


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